“It’s still love! I was so happy in Munich, the club, the city. I’m very happy to meet the old players, Kathleen,” said former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola during a preparatory game between Manchester City and Munich in the summer of 2022 – and thereby also emphasized the special relationship with Krüger, who was considered the Catalan’s confidant during his time at Bayern (2013 to 2016).
She said about Guardiola herself in 2020: “Pep is a very pleasant person, warm, humorous, familiar, tolerant, open-minded, always with maximum commitment to his team and the club, and always with an open ear for everyone.” According to reports, “Pep” wanted to bring her to City – Krüger decided against it and stayed in Munich.
During her time as team manager until 2024, Krüger also worked with other star coaches such as Jupp Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti and Hansi Flick and won eleven championship titles, two Champions League successes and five DFB Cup victories during this time. She received a special honor in 2022: Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder awarded her the state’s Order of Merit.
Krüger has a close friendship not only with Guardiola, but also with many of the record champions’ players. When asked in the Bayern podcast which Bayern player would pick her up if her car broke down, Krüger said in 2021: “Serge Gnabry. Serge and I have a close relationship.”
But then: “Oh God, now David Alaba will probably jump at my throat. There are just a few players with whom I have a closer relationship, who sometimes sit down in my office for half an hour before training. Then we also chat about private things – and that includes Serge, David and Joshua.”